Reason
by xUNGracefulxAssassin
Summary: /Fixed. reuploaded/ AU. Zexion's budding relationship with Demyx is in trouble-Demyx wants in, but Zexion isn't quite reason to let him in... Zemyx. AkuRoku. MarVex.


**Well, holy crapola. I haven't written a _Kingdom Hearts_ story in well over two years-sometime after _358/2 Days_ was released.**

**Anyway, I digress. Enjoy this old story I found deep in the dungeons of my flash drive and decided to finsh tonight.**

**Its even LONGER than my older stories, too. Oh, my. **

**-And look. I went back and edited it. Stupid formatting keeps getting messed up... x.x**

* * *

All around him, people were dancing. His vision consumed by blurred movements as he narrowed his eyes in the dim lighting. Oh, how Zexion absolutely _dreaded_ these night clubs he allowed Axel to drag him to every Saturday night. The midnight-blue haired teen glowered at the noisy patrons to the red-head's favorite club: _Hades' Hellfire_. What a dumb name.

Zexion sucked in a breath, and swallowed. There were far too many people crammed into this club for his tastes, or his claustrophobia of people. And the place smelled nauseatingly disgusting: sweat, spilled beer, pompous egos; there was only one reason that he went to this place. Him…

_Him_ was the pronoun given to one of Axel's closest friends. He was tall, lean, blonde, blue-eyed—perfect. Zexion sighed, shaking his head; his dark bangs wavered over his eye. Where was he? Glowering, he reached for his soda and pulled it toward him, his lips meeting the glass. It was times like this where Zexion wished he didn't have an enhanced sense of smell, but better eyesight, and he'd left his glasses at home…

"Hey, Zexy!" He jumped, spilling some of his soda across the table. Zexion whipped around, slate eyes narrowed dangerously. Axel merely grinned sheepishly and rubbed his spiky hair with hand. "Haha. Why so serious?"

Zexion huffed, rolling his eyes and sinking down in his chair. "You're an idiot, Axel," The shorter responded.

"Nahh," The red-head hopped up on the chair beside him, taking a handful of napkins from the dispenser and dabbing up the spilt soda. "You're just pissy. You're always like this when we come here."

Zexion crossed his arms over his narrow chest, blankly staring at Axel. "I am _not _pissy, Axel—"

"Yes, you are," Axel pushed the soggy napkins to the side with the back of his hand and pulled out his phone, emerald eyes scanning the brightly lit screen. A light smirk flitted across his lips as he closed the phone and shoved it back into his pocket, all his attention on the emo-haired teen. "You're in luck, Zex. Dem's here."

"Now?" Zexion turned and glanced across the club, through the effect lights, the horridly dancing people, to the front door. He heard Axel chuckle over the drone of the music. Moments later, the door was opened and a tall figure walked in, followed by a shorter one. Through the flashing lights, Zexion recognized Demyx, followed by Roxas, Axel's current plaything.

Ripping his attention away from Demyx—staring is definitely _not _his style—he opted for another sip of his soda. "He brought Roxas," He observed, glancing sideways to Axel.

Axel grinned again, leaning back in his chair as the two blondes made their way over to the "Usual Spot," the table in the back corner of the club.

"Hey guys," Demyx chirped, brushing his non-gelled bangs out of his face; they fell back into place, anyway.

"Hey," Roxas greeted, climbing up on the chair beside Axel. "Sorry I never texted you back. Sora decided to drag me away while it was charging." He smiled meekly at Axel, leaning on his elbow on the table.

Zexion looked to Demyx, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Hey," he greeted, finishing off the rest of his Coke, hoping he didn't look as uncomfortable in this club as he felt.

Demyx grinned back at Zexion. "Hey, Zexy. How've you been? I haven't seen you at all recently."

The shorter shrugged, staring idly into his empty soda glass. "I've been around. I started my advanced chemistry class this semester. It takes up a lot of my time."

"Oh…" Demyx's pout could be heard. Zexion bit the inside of his cheek as he glanced up at the blonde. He swallowed and took in his appearance.

He wore dark blue skinny jeans, a fitting, black beater, decorated with various musical notes all over, and a treasure trove of silver necklaces around his neck. Absolutely Demyx, and absolutely perfect.

The blonde plopped into the chair beside the emo-haired Chemistry student and stole Zexion's glass, bringing it to his pale lips and chewed on the ice cube that slid down into his mouth from the top of the pile.

Demyx grinned at the flabbergasted expression on Zexion's face, his hand still in the air as if it was holding the glass. "What?" the blonde questioned innocently, setting down the empty soda glass and tilting his head at Zexion. Those bright, aqua eyes were almost challenging. The midnight-blue haired teen shook his head and adopted an annoyed look that came so easily to him. "Oh, come on, its not like I have a disease—"

Zexion's glare silenced the blonde, who proceeded to laugh cautiously. Zexion licked his parched lips and proceeded to wipe them off with the back of his hand, huffing in an annoyed fashion. He slid off his chair, grumbling something about needing a new soda and stalked off.

Demyx turned to Roxas and Axel, frowning. "What? Did I come on too strong? He hates me, doesn't he?" He panicked to his friends, crossing his arms over the table and dropping his head on top of them. "That's why he's been avoiding me…"

Across the table, Axel sighed, his arm draped lamely over Roxas's shoulder. The young blonde was the only one at the table still in high school and had met the group back when he was a little freshman, the rest seniors. "Don't overreact. Zex has a germ issue," he grumbled, rolling his eyes and taking a nice swig of his soda, offering the glass to his blonde companion. "He'll come around. He's new at this, remember?"

Demyx just sighed, keeping his head down…

"_Stop," Zexion said, his hands pushing against Demyx's chest with a little more force than necessary. He scooted back once free, mixed emotions crossing his half-hidden face, arms folding over his chest and glaring away from the blonde._

"_Zexion, I—__"_

_He took in a breath, shaking his head, "Don't come near me! Just… no…"_

* * *

Zexion made his way outside, onto the nearly abandoned back deck the club had for nicer weather, feeling the need to clear his thoughts. Everything about this stupid club overwhelmed his senses and he felt particularly light headed now. Demyx had invaded his bubble yet again he should be used to it by now. Putting his pale hand to his temple, Zexion gave a soft sigh.

"Gonna run from him again?"

Zexion tensed, slowly turning back to the doorway. "Marluxia?"

"The one and only," the pink-haired man replied. "I don't think I've ever seen you run off like that. According to Vexen, you're head-over-heels for that Demyx kid."

Zexion made a mental note to strangle Vexen and find a new confidante. "Its not that easy," the shorter hissed, single visible eye narrowing into a glare. "I can't just—"

"Admit it to him? Or…" Marluxia paused, sizing the slate-haired student critically. "…Are you scared of intimacy, Zexion? Vexen has mentioned you've never been able to express emotions very well, even to family."

Another mental note to kill Vexen to talking too much. Zexion frowned, turning his back to Marluxia and staring out into the dark sky beyond the club's outside lighting. Aside from Zexion and Marluxia, there were only two other people on the back porch, on the far side from them, two girls smoking cigarettes with one hand and holding a beer in the other. Zexion's stomach crawled at the smell.

"Its none of your concern," Zexion grumbled.

"Of course it is," Marluxia replied, matching the shorter's moody tone. "If you're upset, then Vexen's upset, which, in turn, makes me upset. Therefore, a solution must be found."

Zexion's eye twitched. "You're a heartless, self-righteous—"

"Zexion, mind your manners," Marluxia purred, "I expect the insults from our lovely blonde with the stick up his ass, but you're more refined than that." His voice was almost like a chuckle within itself.

Marluxia was smirking when Zexion finally turned around again. "…What's your plan?"

The smirk widened. "First, you've got to remember something: a relationship is a two-way street. You can't be selfish. So, Demyx wants in your bubble; he's a huggy guy. You're going to have to _let him in_."

* * *

Demyx eyed the door in which Zexion had vacated the club and sighed, half-heartedly stirring his soda with his straw. Every so often-no, every ten or so seconds-he would heave a sigh.

Axel rolled his eyes. "Demyx, stop it. Your depression is killing my good mood. Seriously. Ow!"

Roxas elbowed him. "Ignore him, Demyx. Look, Zexion will come around. I've heard he does like you, so that's a start."

"I know he does," Demyx murmured, eyes downcast. His mouth twisted into a sort of ironic smile. "He only seems to be able to show it when he's had a few, though."

"Dem, no way… Did you try to molest a drunk Zexion?" Axel grinned like a sly fox up to something rotten and he tilted his head to the side. His crimson spikes bobbed with his movement.

Demyx's face went scarlet and, for a moment, looked ready to burst into tears. "No," he squeaked, voice cracking, "He kissed me-then, he… he just shoved me away and said not to touch him and and and… he started avoiding me!"

Axel's smugness was wiped away from his features by a look of shock, mirrored by Roxas as well. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA… Hold on there, bucko. Zexion did what now?"

Demyx's eyes dropped to his drink. He stirred it idly with a shaky hand, trying too hard to focus on the soda. "You heard me," he said softly.

Roxas frowned, eyebrows knitting together in thought. Axel, on the other hand, smirked slightly.

"Well," said Axel, "We should get him drunk. Or make him see a therapist. Or we could drug him—"

"Stop suggesting we drug people," Roxas snapped at Axel. "This isn't some little scientist experiment where we see what blows up first."

Axel beamed at Roxas. "Aw, Rox, that's not fun. You should really learn to lighten up. Besides, I'd never even think of drugging our little Zexy."

Demyx's expression changed from depressed to 'what the hell have I just witnessed' in regards to what Axel was saying. "…I think I'm gonna leave," he said, after a moment. "You two need to discuss… Axel's pyromania. Um, see ya!"

"Dem!"

But the blonde was already weaving through the dancers and disappeared into the crowd, presumably out the door.

"I blame you, Axel," Roxas huffed, glaring at the red head. "If you hadn't have scared him off, we could fix his situation."

"Rox, don't be like that," Axel stuck out his lower lip, putting his head on Roxas's shoulder and blinking up at the blonde. Roxas pushed him off.

"I can't believe I like you," Roxas replied, blue eyes narrowed into emerald green ones.

"I can't believe its not butter," Axel quipped.

Roxas could not hold back his laugh, despite how dumb Axel sounded. His silliness, he thought, that might be what drew Roxas to Axel the moment they met.

* * *

Zexion was already feeling foolish. It was only Monday morning, after all the first day of the week where he had chemistry scheduled and he was utterly preoccupied with Marluxia's plan to help him get over his spatial issues and into the arms of Demyx. There was the beginnings of a stress headache knocking at the lower half of the back of Zexion's skull. Lovely.

With a deep breath, Zexion grabbed his chemistry book and headed off from his dorm room to trudge across campus. It was still early in the semester warm days, cool nights, and all that sort of stuff. Autumn hadn't fully set in quite yet, but it would be here soon. Zexion could nearly smell it in the air.

One of the things Zexion loved about his college was just how _immense_ the science building was. Brick, three stories tall with a multitude of classrooms and labs. It even had its own lounge area, for doing homework while waiting between classes for those students who didn't feel like returning to their dorms. It was currently abuzz with early morning conversation.

Zexion continued toward his classroom and rounded a corner, vaguely aware of a presence down the hall. He stopped, mid-pace, realizing who it was who stood outside the classroom door.

Demyx. The blonde was leaning against the wall, his eyes downcast to the tiled floor. He was casual, like always. Baggy jeans, plain blue tee-shirt, his usual necklaces.

Zexion's brain crashed and it took him a moment to even realize he'd stopped breathing. Heart thudding, he moved a hand through his slate-colored hair, gently brushing it out of his face. It fell back into place, of course, like normal, but it kept Zexion's hand busy for that instant. The scientist-to-be took a deep breath and exhaled, slightly louder than necessary.

Demyx looked up, instantly off the wall, eyes wide. "H-hey," he greeted, giving a small wave of hand.

Zexion's brain started to whirr again. "What are _you_ doing up so early?" he blurted, before he could think to stop himself. He knew for a fact that Demyx's first class wasn't until eleven. "I—I mean, its only nine o'clock." He could feel the heat rising across his cheeks. _Why did it have to be that?_

Demyx chuckled, absently running a hand over his hair. By the looks of it, it wasn't even gelled yet. "I needed to see you," the blonde said, after a moment. "Look, Zex, I'm sorry about Saturday night. I didn't mean to freak you out."

The slate-haired teen felt suddenly floored. Was Demyx still worried over that? Even without apologizing, Zexion forgave him after all, Demyx didn't do anything wrong.

"No, don't apologize," Zexion said, shaking his head slightly. "I'm the one who reacted badly. Who _keeps_ reacting badly."

Demyx's smile was nervous, but happy. "If you're sure," he said. "That, ah, wasn't the only thing "

"Would you _stop_? Let go! I have go to class—"

"You have twenty minutes."

Zexion turned slowly on his heel and spotted Vexen, along with Marluxia, making their way down the hall. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. No words.

Vexen saw them both and went a shade of scarlet that would make Axel ashamed of his hair. Nearly mortified, just by looks alone, Vexen pushed Marluxia's hands away and straightened himself as the pink-haired man rolled his eyes playfully and 'tsk'ed at him.. The blush was slow to die down, even as he cleared his throat.

"Good morning," Vexen greeted evenly. Marluxia gave them both a mock-salute, opting to try to use Vexen as an armrest. The blonde, however, was taller and easily shrugged him off.

"Morning Vexy, Marly," Demyx chirped, stepping up beside Zexion. "Are you two always at this early?" The blonde's following yawn was blended with his last word.

"Yes," Marluxia answered, smirking as he snaked an arm around the slender blonde beside him. Vexen glowered, but surprisingly enough, didn't protest. At least, until the blue-eyed man continued. "Vexen just _loves _when I walk him to class."

Three. Two. One-Vexen elbowed him roughly and moved away, out of reach.

"Keep your damn hands to yourself, Marluxia," Vexen snapped, tone cold.

Zexion repressed a smirk and glanced to Demyx, who gave a lighthearted chuckle at the others' antics.

"We'll leave you two," Zexion found himself saying to Vexen and Marluxia. "Try not to kill each other." Hesitantly, he reached for Demyx's hand and took it. The blonde gave it a small squeeze and allowed Zexion to lead him down the hallway, out of sight and out of earshot, leaving them in a stunned silence.

Once satisfied with distance, Zexion stopped walking and turned his dark gaze to the cerulean-eyed musician he had been dragging down the hall.

Demyx chuckled nervously. "So…"

"You were saying something," Zexion cut in smoothly, although he felt his heart racing. Demyx hadn't dropped his hand. "Before Vexen interrupted?"

"Ah, right!" Demyx gave a sharp nod of his head and smiled sheepishly. "I was going to ask you out." The blonde gave their joined hands a tentative squeeze, bright eyes shining in happiness.

"…Yes," Zexion found himself saying, replaying his conversation with Marluxia from Saturday through his head for what felt like the hundredth time. "I'd love to."

Demyx's smile turned quickly into a wide grin as he flung his free arm around Zexion and pulled him close. The slate-haired teen's immediate reaction was to freeze up and pull away, keep his space, his bubble. His free hand pressed against Demyx's chest in his moment of panic. Demyx tensed, inhaling sharply as his actions registered.

Zexion dropped his hand from the blonde's chest. Instead, he shifted it around and lightly reciprocated the hug. _Let him in_. It took a few seconds, but Zexion's initial panic passed and he smiled, just as Demyx pulled back, smiling down at him.

"Demyx, I…"

"Shh, Zexy," Demyx whispered. "I promise you this will get easier. I'll try my hardest-"

Zexion shifted his free hand and gently pulled Demyx down into a kiss.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Feel free to review. I hope you liked it :)**


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